Waterproof electrical connector

ABSTRACT

Waterproof electrical connector comprises a contact-supporting inner cup, a cover snap-fastened onto the inner cup and through which conductors are admitted to said inner cup, and an outer cup snap-fastened to the inner cup which prevents separation of said inner cup and cover.

United States Patent 1191 Blanchet [54] WATERPROOF ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR[75] Inventor: Lucien Blanchet, Le Vesinet, France [73] Assignee: AirLB, Colombes, France [22] Filed: Nov. 18, 1971 [21] Appl. No.: 200,003

[30] Foreign Application Priority Date Nov. 24, 1970 France ..7042l94[52] U.S. Cl. ..339/l98 V, 339/207 R, 339/242 51 1m. 01. ..H0lr 9/00 581 1610 6: s6ar11....339/19s, 59, 60, 6-1, 206, 207,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,508,! 89 4/1970 Culver..339/205 1 1 Apr. 3. 1973 3,594,711 7 1971 Nava et al .339/198 R3,597,726 8/1971 Appleton et al ..339 19s P Pr irnary Examiner-David H.Brown Assistant Examiner-Robert A. Hafer Attorney-Joseph F. Brisebois etal.

[57] ABSTRACT Waterproof electrical connector comprises acontactsupporting inner cup, a cover snap-fastened onto the inner cupand through which conductors are admitted to said inner cup, and anouter cup snap-fastened to the inner cup which prevents separation ofsaid inner cup and cover.

6 Claims, 2 Drawing Figures WATERPROOF ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR SUMMARY OFTHE INVENTION French Patent 1,565,673 of Mar. 21, 1968, describes a newtype of contact particularly adapted for use in waterproof connectors,which comprises a resilient sealing member located near its upper endand provided with holes for admitting conductors. These holes havetransversely grooved walls adapted to provide the necessary sealingcontact.

It is the object of the present invention to provide a new type ofmodule adapted to be equipped with contacts of this type andcharacterized by the fact that its different constituent components snaponto each other, thus considerably reducing the time required toassemble the various components. The lower part of the easing of thismodule is provided in a conventional manner with snap-fasteningprojections of the type currently used on terminal supports and thesupports for cable mounts, which projections are adapted to cooperatewith external longitudinal ridges on conventional metallic mountingrails.

The characteristics of the present invention will be better understoodfrom a reading of the-following description of one embodiment of thewaterproof, snap-fastening connector according to the invention, whichembodiment is given purely by way of illustration and example, withreference to the accompanying drawings, on which:

FIG. 1 is a transverse sectional view of a module in accordance with theinvention taken along the line I-I of FIG. 2 through the diametralplanes of three of the six contacts positioned in two parallel rows withwhich said module is equipped; and V I The contact support 2 is providedwith partitions 2a shown on FIG. 1 which insulate and seal theindividual seats of the various contacts.

A partition of the same type, perpendicular to the partitions 2a, isshown at 2b on FIG. 2.

The outer wall of the contact support 2 is provided, about midway of itslength, with recesses 5 parallel to the connecting rail 6, and whichpermit a cover 7 to be snapped thereonto in a conventional manner. Thiscover is provided with recesses for receiving labels 8.

The resilient female contacts are biassed by retaining clips 9 when theycooperate with the male contacts.

The cover 7 has a'central recess which receives an elastic sealingmember 10 pierced by six holes for admitting conductors, which holeshave a corrugated profile as'shown at 11 at the right of FIG. 1.

It will be seen, however, that after insertion of th male member 12 andthe conductor 13 attached to this male member, the walls of the holes ofthe passage straighten out and the corrugations therein are crushed. 1 g

The sealing member 10 has recesses adapted to receive the upper end ofthe sealing partitions 2a and 2b and bears at 2c and 2d against thecontact-supporting body 2.

The upper part of the sealing member 10 has six projections-ltlareceived in seats provided for that purpose in the upper part of thecover 7. The assembly comprising the contact carrying member and thecover 7 is snapped into a lower cup 14 equipped in a conven-.

cup urges the lower parts of the two tongues 7a of the cover 7 into thenotches 5 in the contact-supporting cup 2 so that, if pressure isapplied to the top of the cover 7 in the direction of the arrow 16 shownon FIG. 1, the cover 7 cannot come unsnapped from the contact-supportingbody 2, and the cup 14, which remains attached to the two othercomponents 2 and 7, is

detached at from the rail 6. It is easy to understand that the sealingmember 10 is compressed in the seat provided therefor inside thecontact-supporting cup 2 and the cover 7 from the moment at which thesetwo members are snapped together by engagement of the tongues 7a in thenotches 5.

It is thus practically impossible, in normal use, to take the assemblyapart accidentally, even though it may be very rapidly and easilymounted. This conserves its perfect sealing properties and, despite thefact that the components are snapped together, the assembly may bereplaced or removed as a unit with the same facility as in the case ofthe terminal supports or cable mounts conventionally used to connect twoelectrical conductors. 1 FIG. 2 shows the seat l7'for the shunt 4, thesealing compound 3, and the recesses 18 provided to receive the contactsbut, in the example in question, only two rows of contacts, orsixcontacts in all, are shown.

1 It'will of course be appreciated that the embodiment which has justbeendescribed may be modified as to detail and certain componentsthereof replaced by their mechanical equivalents, withouttherebydeparting from the basic principles of the invention.

What is claimed is:

' 1. Fluid-tight electrical connector comprising in combination:

an inner cup member having a bottom and side walls defining a chamberholding a plurality of internal electrical contacts and shunt meansconnecting at least some of said contacts, 7

a cover member provided with apertures for admitting electricalconductors and means for making sealing contact with said conductorswhen received in said apertures,

interfitting snap-fastening means on said inner cup and cover member forattaching said cover member to said cup member,

an outer cup member dimensioned to receive said inner cup member,

interengaging snap-fastening means on said inner and outer cup membersfor holding said cup members together when said inner cup member isreceived in said outer cup member, and

' locking means onsaid outer cup member positioned to block separationofthe interfitting snap-fastening means on said inner cup and covermember,

when said inner cup member is received in said outer cup member withsaid cover member in place thereon.

2. Connector as claimed in claim 1 in which said means for makingsealing contact with said conductors is a block of elastic materialhaving portions received in the apertures of said cover member andencircling said conductors, said block being compressed between saidinner cup member and cover member when interfitting snap-fastening meansare interengaged. i

3. Connector as claimed in claim 1 in which said interfittingsnap-fastening means comprise notches in the outer surface of the wallof the inner cup member, and flexible arms having hooked ends carried bysaid cover member so that said hooked ends engage in said notches, saidlocking means comprises portions of said outer cup member overlying saidhooked arms when said inner and outer cup members and cover are snappedtogether.

4. Connector as claimed in claim 1 in which said outer cup member isprovided at its bottom with opposed downwardly extending resilientprojections adapted to grip therebetween a supporting rail 5. Connectoras claimed in claim 4 in which said cover comprises a lateral projectionhaving a lower surface inclined with respect to the outer wall of saidouter cup member, whereby the exertion of pressure on said lower surfaceserves to separate said cup members and cover as a unit from said rail.

6: Connector as claimed in claim 5 in which said lateral projection hasa groove receiving one end of a locking means, and slots for receiving alabel.

1. Fluid-tight electrical connector comprising in combination: an innercup member having a bottom and side walls defining a chamber holding aplurality of internal electrical contacts and shunt means connecting atleast some of said contacts, a cover member provided with apertures foradmitting electrical conductors and means for making sealing contactwith said conductors when received in said apertures, interfittingsnap-fastening means on said inner cup and cover member for attachingsaid cover member to said cup member, an outer cup member dimensioned toreceive said inner cup member, interengaging snap-fastening means onsaid inner and outer cup members for holding said cup members togetherwhen said inner cup member is received in said outer cup member, andlocking means on said outer cup member positioned to block separation ofthe interfitting snap-fastening means on said inner cup and covermember, when said inner cup member is received in said outer cup memberwith said cover member in place thereon.
 2. Connector as claimed inclaim 1 in which said means for making sealing contact with saidconductors is a block of elastic material having portions received inthe apertures of said cover member and encircling said conductors, saidblock being compressed between said inner cup member and cover memberwhen interfitting snap-fastening means are interengaged.
 3. Connector asclaimed in claim 1 in which said interfitting snap-fastening meanscomprise notches in the outer surface of the wall of the inner cupmember, and flexible arms having hooked ends carried by said covermember so that said hooked ends engage in said notches, said lockingmeaNs comprises portions of said outer cup member overlying said hookedarms when said inner and outer cup members and cover are snappedtogether.
 4. Connector as claimed in claim 1 in which said outer cupmember is provided at its bottom with opposed downwardly extendingresilient projections adapted to grip therebetween a supporting rail. 5.Connector as claimed in claim 4 in which said cover comprises a lateralprojection having a lower surface inclined with respect to the outerwall of said outer cup member, whereby the exertion of pressure on saidlower surface serves to separate said cup members and cover as a unitfrom said rail.
 6. Connector as claimed in claim 5 in which said lateralprojection has a groove receiving one end of a locking means, and slotsfor receiving a label.